Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1924) ‘The Land That Time Forgot’, US signed and inscribed first edition

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1924) ‘The Land That Time Forgot’ US first edition, first printing, published by McClurg. Signed and inscribed in black ink by the author on the front free-endpaper one month after the publication: “To Wilmer Edgar Breese | with best wishes | from his friend | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Los Angeles | July 19, 1924.” With the original dust jacket which ERB bibliographer Robert Zeuschner describes as “one of the more spectacular from the brush of St John (Zeuschner, Erb The Bibliography, p. 156).

Provenance: Wilmer Edgar Breese was a young aspiring writer and an ardent book collector. Born in 1910 in Oneonta, NY to a family of merchants which owned the famous Bresee’s department store in town, he aspired to become a writer in his youth. Robert Zeuschner in his Edgar Rice Burroughs. The bibliography reproduces a letter by Burroughs to Breese dated 20 December 1923, in which Burroughs reassures the young man about improving his writing tools and advises him to purchase a copy of The Land that the Time Forgot which was to be published next spring. Bresee followed the advice and had his copy inscribed by Burroughs. The correspondence between them went on for a few years more. However, Bresee was unlucky. He became a Freemason and published only a few booklets about the brotherhood. He died 1997.

Accompanying the book is also typed note signed to Bresee from Zane Grey about having Mr Grey sign a book for Breese. This is testimony to his book collecting fever.

Condition: The book is reasonably square and tight, with some light edge wear and rubbing to boards; spine tips lightly pushed. Recipient’s ownership inscription on front pastedown. The internal pages are clean and unmarked but for a few occasional faint creases and indentations. The original dust jacket is lettered in red and blue, with four interior sepia plates by John Allen St. John. A price of $ 2.00 is printed on the back panel. It is a beauty with only minor edge wear, most pronounced at spine and flap fold ends, with a tiny tear at each end of the spine panel; rubbing and thumbsoiling to panel fold and rear, but no chipping at all, no fading and no toning to the spine and the white back panel as almost always found. A near fine book in a gorgeous near fine dust jacket.

An important title in the Burroughs canon, exceptionally scarce signed or inscribed with the rare original dust jacket in superlative condition.